Scientific discoveries were all the rage the first time Ben Franklin visited Paris. His own work showing lightning was the same as electricity—arrived at through the scientific method of observation, hypothesis, and testing—was among the ideas that dazzled Parisians. Then a man named Dr. Mesmer captivated the French city with his claims that he had discovered a mysterious force that “streamed from the stars and flowed into his wand” and with which he could cure sickness (not to mention make people swoon, twitch, and tremble). On a return trip to Paris, Ben used the scientific method to prove that mesmerizing was a hoax (and a lucrative one at that): It was all the power of suggestion. This expansive and entertaining picture book is told and illustrated with humor and pizzazz while introducing, explaining, and reinforcing the scientific method. A lengthy author’s note tells more about Franklin and Mesmer in Paris. (Ages 8–12)

Discover how Benjamin Franklin’s scientific method challenged a certain Dr. Mesmer’s mysterious powers in a whimsical look at a true moment in history.

The day Ben Franklin first set foot in Paris, France, he found the city all abuzz. Everyone was talking about something new—remarkable, thrilling, and strange. Something called . . . Science!

But soon the straightforward American inventor Benjamin Franklin is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer, wearing a fancy coat of purple silk and carrying an iron wand, convinces the people of Paris that he controls a magic force that can make water taste like a hundred different things, cure illness, and control thoughts! But Ben Franklin is not convinced. Will his practical approach of observing, hypothesizing, and testing get to the bottom of the mysterious Mesmer’s tricks? A rip-roaring, lavishly illustrated peek into a fascinating moment in history shows the development and practice of the scientific method—and reveals the amazing power of the human mind.